Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N is Sony's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera first launched on October of 2011. The camera features a 16MP, CMOS APS-C sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4912 x 3264.

Sony introduced this camera to upgrade the previous Sony NEX-5 (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards brought out the updated Sony NEX-5R (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to upgrade this model.

The NEX-5N is scored #59 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras & all around #303 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can check out our Advanced camera filter to get camera ratings based on your personal requirements.

The following is a diagram of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Sony NEX-5N has a history of related cameras. Below, you can check out all earlier and new models as well as key features.

You can check the NEX-5N from various angles in the gallery here.

Below is a shortlist of good and bad points of the Sony NEX-5N based on criterias which are usually seen as essential in a camera.

The Sony NEX-5N features the Bionz chip. The size of the sensor on the Sony NEX-5N is 23.4mm x 15.6mm (APS-C). The 365 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4912 x 3264 pixels and aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

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The CMOS sensor has 16 megapixels and includes a native ISO range of 100 to 25600. RAW files are supported therefore the user has wider room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath displays the NEX-5N's sensor dimensions in comparison to other common sizes. The NEX-5N sensor has a crop factor of 1.5 and is displayed in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Sony NEX-5N weighs about 0.59 lb (269 gr or 9.49 oz) & has outer dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5"). The weight of general Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 gr and the Sony NEX-5N is lighter when compared to other rivals.

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Down below is a image of the Sony NEX-5N next to a soft drink so you're able to get a sense of its scale.

The top view just below will show the button arrangement on the NEX-5N.

The NEX-5N fits the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses available. Below is a small number of the lenses we have in our collection which will work with the NEX-5N.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Sony FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS28-135mmf/4.0 1215g

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art85mmf/1.4630g

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Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS35mmf/1.8 155g

Sony E PZ 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS18-200mmf/3.5-6.3 649g

Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS50mmf/1.8 202g

Samyang T-S 24mm f3.5 ED AS UMC24mmf/3.5 680g

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Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM50mmf/1.2 778g

The NEX-5N has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes

Cameras that consist of NFC or Bluetooth compatibility can easily be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can send photos and sometimes change settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Many applications even allow a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI port, it could be connected to an external screen. The majority of cameras enable you to recharge the battery using the USB socket.

The highest video quality on the Sony NEX-5N is 1920 x 1080 and you can shoot in AVCHD format. 1080p quality will provide a decent balance in quality versus file sizes but FULL HD is not going to give you any room to crop. The camera doesn't include a microphone or headphone jack which means that you have got little control over the audio. It is perhaps best to order an alternative model if you want decent audio for your video clips.

There is no weather sealing in the Sony NEX-5N so you need to be cautious in wet and dusty conditions.

The Sony NEX-5N features a 3" tilting display supporting a resolution of 920k dots.

Moreover the display is touch friendly which means you are able to switch focus points as well as adjust settings by using your fingers.

Photography Glossary

The ViewFinder details for Sony NEX-5N are as follows:

• ViewFinder Electronic (optional)

Viewfinders are pretty useful in sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera display washed out and hard to see.

Sony NEX-5N continuous shooting rate is 10.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

Sony NEX-5N features external flash ability but with missing integrated flash. The max flash sync is 1/160 seconds.

Sony NEX-5N features just Contrast Detect Autofocus & is missing Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more faster and exact when compared to Contrast Detect focusing. The camera features Face detect making it helpful for taking photos of people.

The Sensor features 25 focus points to choose from. Sony NEX-5N has tap to focus. You can use your fingers to shift focus points. Sony NEX-5N has the ability to use manual focus if required in low light or you require more accurate focus control.

The battery power (NPFW50) in the Sony NEX-5N is built to last for 460 shutters based on the CIPA benchmarks making it higher than the usual in comparison to its class. The typical Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 has got the highest (750) battery life in this range of cameras.

Below is a listing of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras with the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X-S20
NEX-5N vs X-S20750 yesnoyes

Samsung NX mini
NEX-5N vs NX mini650 yesnono

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Pentax K-01
NEX-5N vs K-01540 yesnono

Sony NEX-3N
NEX-5N vs NEX-3N480 yesnono

Sony NEX-F3
NEX-5N vs NEX-F3470 yesnono

The following bar chart displays a analysis of the Sony NEX-5N for varying categories of photography. To learn more, visit the specific paragraph underneath.

The Sony NEX-5N receives a points total of 73 which is above average, meaning that it is a fine pick for portrait photography. Photographing portrait images favors heavily to sensor resolution, support for RAW files along with the potential to utilize external flash.

Getting a wonderful points total of 80, the Sony NEX-5N is a brilliant pick for street photography. A very good street photography camera comes with a fine balance of image quality and portability.

A modest sports photography score of 58 indicates the Sony NEX-5N is reasonably suited for shooting sports. A camera really should have good tracking plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Portability is super crucial when buying a camera for travel. In general, the Sony NEX-5N gets a nice 70 as a travel camera which is a respectable option for your trips.

For anyone who is planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photography, the most critical factor will no doubt be image quality. The Sony NEX-5N and it's above average grade of 71 as a landscape camera is a respectable pick within the current marketplace.

A vlogging camera ought to offer a articulating display screen, microphone input and ideally IBIS. Considering all the details, the Sony NEX-5N is simply not good for vlogging as it gets a lousy score of 33.

If you are trying to find alternatives to the NEX-5N, below is a list of the highest rated cameras which fall in to the family of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The line graph underneath will give you a summary of the NEX-5N compared to it's top scored competitors suggested earlier.

These are some more cameras you might have a look at as alternate options. To review a thorough comparison, simply click the "compare" link.